Donald Trump asserts that the United States has started the process of blocking the Strait of Hormuz, US Navy ships pass through after six weeks of war.
It is the first passage of American ships after six weeks of war. In the midst of peace talks in Pakistan for a ceasefire in Iran, Donald Trump asserted on Saturday, April 11, that the United States had started the process of blocking the Strait of Hormuz. According to American officials quoted in the New York Times, Tehran is unable to fully open the strait as it cannot locate all the mines laid.
“We are now beginning the process to clear the Strait of Hormuz to help countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they do not have the courage or the will to do this work themselves,” said the President of the United States in a message on his Truth Social network. Without providing details, the American president also claimed that “empty oil tankers from many countries are all heading towards the United States of America to load oil.”
Several American media outlets reported that US Navy ships had crossed this strategic passage controlled by Iran on Saturday. The US military explained that they crossed the strait in a demining operation.
Mines not all located
Indeed, the crossing is currently not without danger. President Donald Trump himself mentioned on his Truth Social network the “threat” that a ship could “hit” a naval mine, while claiming that “all 28 of their [Iran’s] mine-laying ships lie at the bottom of the sea since the American strikes.”
Iran has indeed laid mines to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil passes, leading to a rise in oil prices worldwide which enraged Donald Trump. Against a ceasefire, Tehran had then proposed allowing ships to pass gradually, with a toll of around one dollar per barrel of oil transiting the strait, payable in cryptocurrencies.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, had stated on Wednesday that the strait would soon be opened to traffic “taking into account technical constraints.” According to the New York Times, these “technical constraints” refer to Iran’s inability to quickly locate or remove its mines.
These revelations could influence peace negotiations between the United States and Iran, which have just begun in Pakistan, where the issue of traffic in the strait will be central.
